Apparatus for applying closures to containers



March 28, 1961 G, COADY ETAL 2,976,898

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING CLOSURES T0 CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. 11/124131 at [my & BY .WZ'l/lfim 611001115614.

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-11 42 FL E 638 March 28, 1961 CQADY ETAL 2,976,898

APPARATUS F OR APPLYING CLOSURES TO CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS. 111241 41 a. wad &, BY MZ/lfi/i/ a 172/] la,

APPARATUS FOR APPLYINGTCLOSURES T CONTAINERSI Michael G. Coady, Broomall, and William C. Kohnle, In, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors toMerck &.Co.", Tue, Rahway, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 787,458

'10 Claims. (Cl. 141-.-346) This invention relates to apparatus for charging containers such as vials or bottles with closures. More specifically, this invention is concerned with apparatus useful in quantity production of sterile pharmaceutical products and the like, and relates to a novel means for applying sterile stoppers to sterile ;vials, or bottles after they are filled with sterile pharmaceutical products.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for charging a plurality of objects from one space into another space without contamination, and with ease and rapidity.

Another object of our invention is to provide a highly reliable and compact means for introducing sterilized closures into an apparatus for inserting them into sterilized containers, in a manner to insure against the possibility of contamination of the products.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which permits the rapid removal and replacement of sterilized-carriers in which the sterilized closures are carried; 1

Other important objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description, and from the attached drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of an apparatus for charging a container filling machine with closure caps or stoppers, conveniently embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus asseen from the right of Fig. 1, with portions broken out and shownin section in order to expose important structural details.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section, taken as indicated by the lines and arrows III--III which appear in Fig, 1, and drawn to a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a detail view in cross section, taken as indicated by the lines and arrows IVIV which appear in Fig- Figs. 5-8 are perspective views of various component parts of the apparatus, some with portions broken out and shown in section, and

, Figs. 9 and are views correspondingrespectively to Figs. 4 and 8, and showing an alternative construction.

The following description refers to a specific form of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

As herein exemplified, the apparatuscomprises an enclosure 1 which serves as a protective housing over and about a vial or bottle stoppering machine 2 which is conventionally indicated and which is not a part of this invention. This machine may be of any well known commercially available type and is usually provided with a feed hopper 3 for reception and storage of stoppers S. Vials V are usually advanced through the machine at the bottom by a belt conveyer'4. As shown, the housing 1 has a hood 5 and the upper portion of the front Wall 7 of the housing is sloped rearwardlyv and upward- 1y as .at 8 and continued to the top of. said hood. The interior of the housing 1 isaccessiblethrough ,openings. protectedby (transparent) hinged doors 9 and ;10,'

tes Patent and also through openings covered by-hinged doors. 11

and 11a in the back wall 12.- Mounted on the end walls 13 and 14 within the housing and also within the", hood 5 are sterilizing lamps 15,16 and 17 respectively for maintaining the atmosphere within the housing in a sterilized condition.

Secured to a flange 18 surrounding a generally circular opening 19 in the hood 5 is a forwardly projecting-flexible accordion type sleeve extension 20. The outer end of extension 20 is secured to a flange 21 at theend ofa hollow cylindrical magazine 22. At a point substantially medial between. its ends, themagazine 22-is provided with trunnions 23 which are rotatively engagedin hearings in the flange 18. As best shown in Fig. 5,"=

the magazine 22 is open at its outer (flanged) end and has an eccentrically' disposed aperture 24 at its other end.

The magazine 22 is constructed to receive and retaina cartridge separately illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and Sand designated comprehensively by the numeral 25. Cartridge 25 has a hollow outer, cylindrical body 26 which has a bottom portion 27 having an eccentrically disposed lateral aperture 28in its bottom like that ofthe maga' zine 22. Fitting over the reduced end portion 27 of the cylindrical body 26 is a closure 30 which, in turn, has an eccentrically disposed substantially semicircular aperture 32 like the apertures 24, 28, and a key projection 33 disposed along the straight edge of said aperture. The

outerv diameter of cap 30 corresponds to that-of the main portion of the body 26; when the closure 30 is appliedas shown in Fig. 6 the assemblage presents a flush ex terior. Closure 3d also has an axial hole 34.

As best seen in Figs. 5-8, the apertures 24,28, and

32 respectively of the parts 22, 25, and 30 all have edges arranged at an angle of approximately 45 relative tothe axis of such parts. From Fig. 8 it will be noted that the bottom 35 of the cartridge 25 is provided with an axial clearance hole 36 for the shank of a headed pivot screw 37 which engages into the tapped hole 34, and by. which theclosure 30 is held assembled with the cartridgebody as in Fig. 6. A spring washer 38 interposed beneath the head of the screw 37 serves frictionally to re strain accidental rotation of the-closure 30 .aboutthe diametrically reduced end of the cartridge.

From Fig. 8 it will be noted that the cartridge 25 is provided in its bottom with a semicircular groove 39 into.

which a stud 40 (fixed in the closure 30) extends-to limit rotation of the closure 30 to a half-turn.

The cartridge 25 is provided with a cover 41 having a handle 42. The cover 41 is releasably held to the cylindrical body 26 by a bayonet look as shown at 43.

In use, the cartridge 25 is arranged with-the closure 39 turned to close the opening 28 in the cartridge bottom. The cartridge 25 is filled with caps or stoppers S, the cover 41 is applied and locked as in Fig, 6, and,

the assembly and contents are sterilized. The loaded cartridge then is inserted into the magazine 22, in a generally horizontal manner as in vFig. 2, incident to. which the key projection 33 on the closure 30 is passed, into the aperture at the inner end of the magazine 22 I to engage beneath and lock with the straight edge por v tion of'the aperture, as shown in Figs- 1 and 3. The locking device is so arranged that when handle 42 is horizontal, the aperture 24 would be in line with the aperture 32. With this accomplished, the cylindricalbody 26 is turned through a half rotation by grasping the handle; 42 and twisting; this brings the aperture 28 in line witlrapertures 24 and 32.

3 or stoppers S are released to fall by gravity into the hopper 3 of the machine 2.

After the contents of cartridge 25 are completely discharged into the machine, the cylindrical member 26 may be removed and replaced by grasping the handle 42 and twisting it to cause the aperture 28 to be closed by the closure 30. Then, after swinging the magazine 22 back to the horizontal position of Fig. 2, the cartridge 25 is readily removed and replaced with a full cartridge.

In the alternative construction illustrated in Figs. 9 and of the drawings, the bottom 35a of the cartridge 25a is provided centrally of the crosswise edge of the opening 28a with a notch 36a, and the closure 30a is provided centrally of the inner side of its semicircular end wall with a short inwardly projecting stud 37a, said stud terminating in a flat radial tongue 38a. In applying the closure 30:: over the diametrically reduced end portion 27a of the cartridge body 26a, the tongue 38a is cleared in the notch 36a in the end wall 35a of the cartridge. With this accomplished, the closure 30a is turned with the result that the tongue is caused to lap the inner face of the end wall 35a of the cartridge body and thereby hold said closure assembled with the cartridge body in closed positionfor retainment of the vial or bottle stoppers placed therein until the cartridge is inserted into the magazine 22. As in the previously described embodiment, the modified cartridge of Figs. 9

' and 10 is inserted into the magazine 22 in such manner as to bring the key projection 33a of the closure into the aperture at the inner end of the magazine 22 to engage beneath and lock with the straight edge portion of the aperture. The locking device is so arranged that when handle 42 is horizontal, the aperture 24 would be in line "."ith the aperture 32a. After this is done, the cartridge body 26a is turned through a half rotation to bring the aperture 2Ia into registry with the aperture 32a of the closure 30a and aperture 24 at the inner end of the magazine 22.

While the preferred embodiments of this invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described, parts may be reversed, and certain features may be used independently of others, all within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, we claim:

1. In apparatus for feeding articles from one zone into another zone, such zones being separated by a barrier, the combination which comprises means forming .an opening in said barrier, magazine means extending through said opening and sealed to said barrier, and

.an elongated closures container which is slidable into and out of said magazine means, said closures container including a plurality of relatively turnable members each having an aperture which is adapted to come into and out of registry with the other, and control means opera- I tive in response to turning movement of said container for effecting relative movement of said relatively turnable members to bring the respective apertures into and out of registry with one another.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said control means includes a locking member extending from one of said turnable members and engaging said magazine member.

3. In apparatus for applying closures to containers, means forming a housing provided with an opening, a hollow elongate receiver extending in sealed relation through the opening in the said housing wall into the interior of the housing, said receiver being open at its outer end and having an eccentrically disposed down- '4 wardly open aperture in its inner end, a hollow cartridge slidingly engageable within said receiver, said cartridge having a closure at its end, said cartridge also having an eccentrically disposed aperture in its bottom end, means forming a bottom end closure in said cartridge including an eccentrically disposed aperture which is normally out of registry with the aperture in the cartridge bottom, and means operable after insertion of the loaded cartridge into the receiver to cause the aperture in the cartridge bottom to register with the aperture in the inner end of the receiver.

4. In apparatus for charging a vial filling or stoppering machine with sterile closures, a protective housing extending over and about the machine and equipped with means for maintaining a sterile atmosphere therein, said housing having an opening in the upper part of one of its side walls, an elongated hollow receiver medially pivoted within the opening of the side wall of the housing with capacity to be tilted in a vertical plane, said receiver being open at its outer end and having an eccentrically disposed downwardly open aperture at its inner end, a flexible means sealing off the opening of the side wall of the housing around the receiver, a hollow cartridge slidingly engageable into the receiver with a snug sliding fit, said cartridge having a lockable cover in its outer end, an eccentrically disposed aperture in its bottom, and a bottom closure provided with an eccentrically disposed aperture normally out of register with the aperture in the cartridge bottom for retainment of closures previously loaded into the cartridge, and means operable after insertion of the loaded cartridge into the receiver to cause the aperture in the cartridge bottom to register with the aperture at the inner of the receiver whereby, upon tilting the receiver about its pivot as permitted by the flexible sealing means, the closures in the cartridge are released to fall by gravity into the machine within the housing.

5. In apparatus for charging a filling machine with closures, a protective housing having a opening, an elongated hollow cylindrical receiver pivoted within the opening of the side wall of the housing with capacity to be tilted in a generally vertical plane, said receiver being open at its outer end and having an eccentrically disposed downwardly open aperture at its inner end, a flexible sealing sleeve surrounding the protruding portion of the receiver with one end thereof secured about the opening of the side wall of the housing and the other end thereof secured about the receiver adjacent its open end, a hollow cylindrical cartridge slidingly engageable into the receiver with a snug sliding fit, said cartridge having a lockable cover in its upper end, an aperture in its bottom, and a closure at the bottom likewise provided with an eccentrically disposed aperture normally out of register with the aperture in the cartridge bottom for retainment of vial or bottle caps or stoppers previously loaded into the cartridge, and means operable after insertion of the loaded cartridge into the receiver to cause the aperture in the cartridge to be uncovered and to register with the aperture in the inner end of the receiver whereby, upon tilting the receiver about its pivot as permitted by the flexible sleeve, the closures in the cartridge are released to fall by gravity into the machine within the housing.

6. The invention according to claim 5, wherein the apertures at the inner end of the receiver and at the bottom of the cartridge are semicircular in configuration, and wherein the aperture in the bottom closure of the cartridge is likewise semicircular in configuration and is provided along its straight edge with a key projection adapted, as the cartridge is introduced into the receiver, to engage beneath the straight edge of the aperture in the inner end of the receiver for restraint against rotation whereby, upon turning the cartridge through a half rotation about its axis after insertion into the receiver,

the aperture in the cartridge bottom is brought into registry with the aperture in said receiver.

7. The invention according to claim 6, wherein the top cover of the cartridge is provided with a hand grasp by which the cartridge can be rotated after insertion into the receiver.

8. In apparatus for feeding articles from one zone into another zone, such zones being separated by a barrier, the combination which comprises means forming an opening in said barrier, magazine means extending through said opening and sealed to said barrier, said magazine means having a delivery opening formed therein, a closures container which is slidable into and out of said magazine means, said closures container including a pair of relatively turnable members each having an aperture, both of said apertures being adapted to come into registry with the aperture in said magazine means, and control means for effecting relative movement of said relatively turnable members to bring the respective apertures into and out of registry with one another.

9. In apparatus for feeding articles from one zone into another zone, such zones being separated by a barrier, the combination which comprises means forming an opening in said barrier, magazine means extending through said opening, an elongated container which is slidable into and out of said magazine means, said container including a turnable cap, said container and said cap each having an aperture adapted to come into registry with one another, projecting means on said cap for aligning the opening of said cap with the opening of 30 1,770,576

said magazine means and control means carried by said cap and engageable with a corresponding control means carried by said magazine means for effecting turning movement of said cap relatively to said container when said container is turned to bring the respective apertures into and out of registry with one another.

10. In apparatus for feeding articles from one zone into another zone, such zones being separated by a barrier, the combination which comprises means forming an opening in said barrier, an elongated magazine means extending through said opening and sealed to said barrier, said magazine means having a delivery opening thereon, and an elongated closures container which is slidable into and out of said magazine means, said closures container including relatively turnable members each having an aperture, such relatively turnable members being arranged one within the other and frictionally engaged in a manner to resist relative turning movement, and control means carried by one of said relatively turnable members and engageable upon said magazine member for overcoming friction to effect relative movement of said relatively rotatable members in response to turning movement of one of said members to bring the respective apertures into and out of registry with one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Leather July 15, 1930 

